There is a lot of buzz around the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, slated to be played between India and New Zealand in Southampton from June 18-22.

With Kiwis playing two Tests against England before the WTC final, everyone is giving them an advantage for the marquee game but veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expects Team India to perform like they did in Australia earlier this year.

India had registered a historic 2-1 Test series win Down Under even though the visitors were badly hit by injuries and without their regular skipper Virat Kohli (paternity leave).

Ashwin, who played a key role in the series win over Australia, believes India will adapt quickly to the English conditions.

“Once we go there I think the Indian team will adapt quickly and perform like we did in Australia," Ashwin told New Indian Express.

The off-spinner, however, is concerned about the long gap because of the pandemic.

“We are at least another week to 10 days away from even practising for the first time. Most of the players have not played cricket since the IPL was called off. So, I think that is one of the biggest challenges,” he added.

Ashwin, who left the now-suspended IPL 2021 midway to be with family in the fight against COVID-19, said cricketers can put a smile on people’s faces in these difficult times.

“As players, one thing we all realised is that even amidst all this negativity, we were able to put a smile on people’s faces. We definitely understand that a lot of people are not being able to lead normal lives. But we realise that we can also put a smile on their faces, which is something that all cricketers can take pride in.

“Everybody inside the team definitely empathizes and understands what’s going on. And our thoughts are with all those people who are struggling,” he said.